Food supplements in childhood

Several food supplements are used from an early age, namely supplements with vitamins, minerals, fatty acids (omega-3), probiotics, melatonin, and even plant extracts.

The consumption of food supplements, both in adulthood and in childhood, is not without risks. Information about some ingredients and their limit dosages is scarce, and their improper use, without guidance from a health professional, and without control of the ingredients used in their composition and guidance on the recommended dose per daily intake, can cause the food supplement stops being beneficial and, in extreme cases, starts harming health.

The European Commission, together with EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), evaluates the evidence on the safety and bioavailability of ingredients suitable for use in food supplements, including in children, and, very recently, the maximum tolerable intake levels were changed existing, for some vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Folic acid and vitamin D and minerals (Iron, Selenium and Manganese), by age groups. The maximum permissible values, by age groups, for acid intake were also updated essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA), alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and macronutrients (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates).

Some member states of the European Union, such as France, Italy and Germany, in their internal laws, provide lists of ingredients that are suitable or prohibited for use in food supplements, and these lists can serve as guides for other countries in the European Union. These laws, and their interpretation, become essential for evaluating the composition of food supplements for children, especially about certain plant extracts that are contraindicated in certain age groups (e.g. aloe vera, green tea, rhubarb, valerian and liquorice, are not indicated in children under 12 years of age), or plant extracts with restrictions on the safe daily dose for ingestion in childhood (for example, the amount of estragole present in fennel, in children with under 12 years of age, should not exceed 0.05 mg/kg body weight).

If you have questions about the composition of food supplements for children and whether they are safe within the European Union, contact us.